Wrench



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY SPRAGUE, OF BUFFALO, NEIV YORK.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,443, dated March 17, 1896. Application filed May 15, 1895. Serial No. 549,357. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY SPRAGUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and more particularly to that class of wrenches having one fixed and one movable jaw.

Referring to the drawings herewith, consisting of one sheet, Figure I is an elevation of my invention, showing it in a position out of engagement. showing it in a position of engagement. Fig. III is a vertical central cross-section of my movable jaw. Fig. IV is a rear end elevation of the movable jaw, together with the link and spring, as hereinafter more fully described.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

A is the fixed jaw, which is mounted upon the shank or handle B. O is the movable jaw, which is mounted slidably upon the shank or handle B. The jaws A and C are provided with saw-toothed contact-faces a, c, which may be integral therewith or which may be secured thereto by any well-known method.

D is a lip rigidly secured to the movable jaw (J, and which extends forwardly a sufficient distance so that its lower edge will come in contact with the pipe (as hereinafter described) of the largest size for which the wrench is intended to be used.

The movable jaw is so mortised as to allow a rocking motion which will swing the contact-face forward and upward, as clearly shown by the positions of said jaw in Figs. I and II. Referring to Fig. III it will be seen that this mortising is accomplished by an inclination of the lower face of the mortise, so that the same is substantially at right angles to the contact-face of the jaw.

E is a rectangular link, which engages freely over the shank or handle B, the lower portion of which is engaged by a spring F, which is secured to the movable jaw C, and which tends to draw the link E downward. The position of this link is clearly shown in Figs. 1, II, and IV. The upper portion of the Fig. II is a similar view link E engages underneath a lug G, which is rigidly secured to the movable jaw C, and which allows sufficient vertical action to the link for the purposes about to' be described. This upper portion of said link E has a beveled lower edge which is calculated to act as a dog engaging with the ratchet 1) upon the shank or handle-bar B.

II is a thumb-screw, which, passing through the upper port-ion of the movable jaw C, bears against the shank or handle B, for the purposes hereinafter described.

In operation the wrench is adjusted to the size pipe in use. This is done by sliding the movable jaw forward or backforward by mere forward pressure, as the link E is free to move over the ratchet b in that direction and is carried forward by the lug G, engaging it by the hooked end cl and backward by pressing upward upon the link until the upper portion disengages from the ratchet b. Having thus adjusted the Wrench, as shown in Fig. I, it is brought down upon the pipe T, as indicated in Figs. I and II. The lip D at once strikes the pipe, and the more weight of the wrench is sufficient to rock the movable jaw forward and upward until it takes the position shown in Fig. II. Thus the pipe is brought into contact, and the operation of the wrench is automatic in adjustment for each engagement with the pipe.

It will be seen that the upper portion of the link E, engaging with the ratchet, acts as a pivot upon which the jaw O swings, and it will be seen that the draft or lead of the jaw is so very great that the adjustment may be much less exact than with other wrenches in order to secure perfect action, and this, with other features, is of great value; but it should be noted that in using pipe of small gage the draft or lead may be so great as to endanger crushing. To provide for such cases, the thumb-screw H is employed. By turning this thumb-screw down the rocking motion of the movable jaw is limited, thus avoiding danger of crushing. This thumbscrew serves another important purpose. By screwing it down until the two jaws have their bearing-faces parallel the wrench becomes an effective monkey-Wrench.

My invention is not limited to the construction herein shown. The adjusting and securing mechanism may be replaced by a screw-sleeve 011 the shank and by causing the spring to act directly upon the shank, as will be readily understood by one skilled in the art.

I therefore claim- 1. A wrench consisting of a fixed jaw and shank, a movable jaw mounted slidably upon said shank, said movable jaw being capable of rocking forward and upward and having its pivotal point at the outer extremity of said movable jaw and above the outer face of said shank, a lip secured to said movable jaw to engage with the pipe and to rock the movable jaw forward and upward, and an adj u sting and securing m echanism, substantially for the purposes set forth.

2. A wrench having a fixed jaw and shank, a movable jaw taking over said shank, by means of a mortise beveled down inwardly to permit said jaw to rock forward and upward upon its upper and outer extremity, means for adjusting and securing said movable jaw, and a lip secured to and extending inwardly across the wrench-opening to en gage upon the pipe for the purpose of rocking said jaw forward and upward and into engagement with the pipe, for the purposes set forth.

3. A wrench consisting of a fixed jaw and shank, a movable jaw mounted slidably thereon, means for adjusting and securing said movable jaw, and a thumb-screw threaded through the upper portion of said movable jaw, and a lip secured to said movable jaw to engage with the pipe and to rock the movable jaw forward and upward, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. A wrench having a fixed jaw and shank, a movable jaw mounted thereon and capable of swinging over a limited arc of a circle with the upper, outer extremity of said movable jaw as an axis, means for adjusting and securing said jaw, a thumb-screw threaded through said jaw and capable of bringing the contact-face of said movable jaw parallel with that of the fixed jaw, for the purposes set forth.

5. A wrench consisting of a fixed jaw and shank, a movable jaw taking over said shank by means of a mortise vertically and inwardly extended, a lip secured thereto and extending across the wrench-opening a sufficient dismeans for adjusting and securing said mov-' able jaw pivotally at its upper, outer extremity substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A wrench consisting of a fixed jaw and shank, said jaw being at the extremity of said shank and calculated to engage its inner face with the pipe, a movable jaw taking over said shank by means of a mortise and adjustable longitudinally over said shank, said mortise being vertically and inwardly extended upon the lower side adjacent to the jaw proper to permit of a rocking motion of said movable jaw forward and upward upon said shank, a lip rigidlysecured to one of the sides of said movable jaw and extending forwardly beyond and outside of the engaging face of said movable jaw and upon a line substantially at right angles to the engaging face of said movable jaw, and so situated as to come in contact with the pipe and rock said jaw forward and upward, a thumb-screw threaded through the upper surface of said movable jaw adjacent to the inner end to engage adj ustably with the upper face of said shank and means for adjusting and seeurin g said movable jaw upon said shank, consisting of a rectangular link taking loosely over said shank and held up against the back of said movable jaw by means of a lug taking loosely over the upper portion of said link and secured to said movable jaw, and by a spring rigidly secured to the lower outer face of said jaw and engaging with the lower portion of said link, and a ratchet or rack upon the upper face of said shank, adjacent to said movable jaw, with which the upper portion of said link engages as a pawl and acts as apivot upon which said movable jaw is free to rock forward and upward, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY SPRAGUE. Vitnesses HARVEY S. ALBERTsoN, CHARLES S. ALBERTSON. 

